Apparatus for distillation of carbonaceous substances



May 11 ,1926.

' 1,584,487 E. R. SUTCLIFEE APPARATUS FOR DIST ILLATION OF CARBONACE OUS SUBSTANCES Filed May 15, 191 ESheets-Sheet 1 Figll,

Inventor "zuenwmwyt Attorney May 11 ,1926. 1,584,487 E. R. SUTCLIFFE v APPARATUS FOR DISTILLATION 0F CARBONACEOUS SUBSTANCES File d May 15, 1918 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor 2x2. .m/GQ/ to. Z. $0M

Attorney.

p which the heating gases respectively enter- Patented May I 1 1,. 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENTAOFFICE.

EDGAR BOUSE SUTCLI'FFE, OE LEIGH, ENQLANI), ASSIGNOR TO PURE COAL BRI- QUETTES LIMITED, 01: CARDIFF, WALES.

APPARATUS vFOR DISTILLATION OF GARBONAGEOUS SUBSTANCES.

Application filed May 18,1918. Serial No. 234,277.

(GRANTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS 01 THE ACT OF MARCH 3, 1921, 41 STAT. L.,-1313.)

This invention relates to the destructive distillation of coal and similar carbonaceous substances and has for its ob'ect to secure economy and efiiciency in applying heat by means of heated gases passed through the charge to be distilled.

The invention is especially applicable in the destructive distillation of coal which has been reduced to a uniform condition of extrem'e fineness and compressed to produce stonelike blocks or pieceswithout the necessary use of a binder, by subjecting such blocks to a coking process, and in the employment of blocks for coking that are substantially non-expansible, but the invention is of general application to the destructive distillation of carbonaceous'substances and for the treatment or reduction of ores and for similar purposes.

According to the invention in its application to the destructive distillation of coal, the distillation is effected continuously within a retortwhich is advantageously vertically disposed, the retort being divided intoparts or zones whose position is determined by means of ports or sets of ports through and leave the retort, so that thus the distillation mostly takes place in the main or middle part of the retort in a position between these respective ports or sets of ports, leaving a part or zone at the upper end, and apart or zone-at the lower end. Into the part or zone at the upper end of the retort coal is fed and the process of distillation gradually commences in that part of the retort whereby the vapors and gases produced in the com- 1 mencement ofthe'tlistillation there pass directly through an outlet provided at the upper end of the retort, whereby a considerable part of the tar vapors and other bodies are removed on production Without passing through the main orlniddlepart ofthe retort.

At the lower end of the retort ,the partially or almost completely distilledchargeaccumulates and being retained so as to give off its remaining content of gas or volatile matter to the extent required under the heat already, acquired, the charge slowly cooling in the lower part of the retort before,

its discharge at the lower end thereof. By j part of the retort, while the coal is continuously or intermittently fed into the upper part thereof.

Accordingto the invention, moreover, the retort is heated internally by means of gases mittently fed into a receptacle at the lower which are produced by the combustion of gas within the blast stove or alternately by passing gas through the heated blast stove. Each retort or set of retorts is advantageously provided withtwo blast stoves orsets of blast stoves for alternate operation in periods for example of one half hour, so that whileone blast stove is being heated-bythe combustionof gas therein, the other blast stove which has previously been .heated in a like mannerhas gas passed through, the

through the retort continuously. 4

According to the invent'on the retort is advantageously provided as a vertical retort of large capacity divided into sections or zones in the manner described. At 'the upper end of the main or middle part of the retort ports are provided which respectively gas thus being heated andthence flowing directly communicate with the upper ends of A the adjacent blast stoves, while at the lower end of the mainv or middle section of the retort, .ports' are provided which directly communicate with the lower end of the blast through which. gas may be passed into the blast stove, the nozzle or nozzles being so disstoves.' At theupper part of each blast I stovea nozzle or nozzlesis. or are provlded posed as to have an injector-like action upon the gases and vapors in the retort whereby ;they are drawn-from the upper end of the.

middle or main part of the retort, the gases from the retort being thus induced to circulate through the heated blast stove and being discharged from the blast stove into the lower end of the main or middle part of the retort under the action of the injector nozzles referred to, whereby they are heated and discharged into the retort to maintain the distillation of the charge.

It will beunderstood that valves or dampers are provided by which communication between the respective blast stoves and the retort may be cut off for alternate heating. Air may be introduced into the respective blast stoves at the lower end thereof. The combustion gases would then pass upwardly through the blast stove and thence through an outlet flue at the upper part thereof.

The invention comprises the method and means hereinafter described.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 diagrammatically represents in vertical sectional elevation one constructional form.

Figure 2 diagrammatically represents a modification in a similar view.

In carrying the invention into effect according to one construction as illustrated diagrammatically in Figure 1 in its appli-Q cation to a single unit plant for the distillation of coal, I provide a setting comprising a vertical retort a which for example may be of a height of'30 feet and of a cross-section 5 feet by 10 feet having two blast stoves c, 0 disposed one on either side of the retort. The respective blast stoves c, 0 have a height corresponding to the height of the middle or main part of the retort and these blast stoves communicate at their upper and lower ends'respectively with the ports 01, 6, provided at the upper and lower ends of the main or middle part of the retort in the manner hereinbefore described. At the upper end a flue f is provided for each blast stove and nozzles g are provided therein in a position transversely to the flue f, while the blast stove c or c is gradually constricted at its upper part at which it communicates with-this flue f, the nozzle or nozzles g being so disposed-that on gas being passed therethrough the gases may be drawn from the retort a through the flue f into the blast stove. Thus a circulation of gas is maintained.

When heating the blast stove c or 0 the valve 6 closing communication with the lower end of the middle or main part of the retort is closed and gas and air admitted to the lower part-of the blast stove from the flue z through the valve 2' The flue f at the upper end of the blast stove has its out let valve 7' open and the valve it between the upper part of the blast stove and the retort closed, so that thus the combustion I gases pass through the flue f and upwardly through the outlet flue f After one blast stove has been heated the valves of the respective blast stoves are reversed and cold stoves taking place at suitable periods.

The upper part of the retort is advanta geously diverted to one side as at [sand at that side the carbonaceous material is delivered thereto whereby it slides or falls down into the upper part of the retort. An outlet Z is provided in the upper part of the retort as hereinbefore described through which gas and vapors may pass for condensation and purification, part of the gas produced being then utilized for heating the blast stoves and for heating the charge in the retorts in the manner described.

At the bottom of the lower part of tort a an inclined surface on. is provided beneath the retort by means of which part of the weight of the charge maybe supported, and this inclined surface may form part of a chute by which the charge may be directed into a movable receptacle into which the residue may periodically be discharged. At the end of this inclined surface a. hinged plate a may be provided adapted to be operated from the outside of the chute, so that it may be brought from a position in which it lies at right angles with the inclined surface and forms a stop to hold the charge, to a position in which it depends vertically from the lower edge of the .inclined surface, so that the charge that lies upon the inclined surface may thus, being unsupported, fall into the receptacle.

In the lower part of the retort steam or cold water gas may be injected for example through a nozzle a with a view to the removal of the by-products as well as to cool the charge.

It will be understood that the heating of the charge within the retort is efiected entirely by the heated gas which may be coal gas, for example. The gas and vapor passing from the retort may for example be about 25,000 cubic feet per ton of coal. The gas returned to the respective blast stoves may be about 15,000 cubic feet per ton,' while the gasactually burnt in the blast stoves may be from 4,000 to 5,000 cubic feet. It will be understood that these figures are given by way of example only and to indicate the character of the method involved. The gas circulated through the blast stoves per ton of coal would for example be from about 60,000 to 100,000 cubic feet per ton.

The gas and vapor from the upper part ofthe retort may not pass directly to the blast stove, but instead all the gases may first be taken away through the upper part of the re tort and, after being cooled and washed by suitable" means, .plass'ed into the regenerator.

In carrying e invention into eflect as illustrated diagrammatically in Figure 2, a

the rcsage of the waste gases on heating the blast stove by which they may pass to the adjacent chimney a A valve p is provided, through which, after the blast stove has been heated, gas may be passed from the return gas main so that thus the gas may pass through the heated blast stove and enter the retort through the poits e at the lower end thereof.

It will be understood that the gas on pass ing from the retort would pass on through the condensers and by-product plant forthe recovery of tar and other bodies arid would then pass into the base of the blast stove at 0 where it would meet the requisite amount of air for combustion. Valve 0 to the chimney being open thehot gases would circulate through the blast stove chamber and heat up the brickwork. The period required for heating the blast stove would be arranged according to circumstances; For example a half-hour interval might be allowed. After heating the blast stove the valve 0 would be closed as well as the valves admitting gas and air to the base of the blast stove at 0 Purified gas is now allowed to pass in through the valve p and this would circulate through the blast stove, becoming heated and entering at the ports 6 passing thence through the fuel in the retort to distill or carbonize it and out at the top through the valve a and the stand pipe a into the hydraulic main a whence the gas passes through the gas main a.

The duration of this operation may be determined according to The period may for example be one halfhour and the temperature of the blast stove may be regulated so that the temperature of the gases passing through the ports 6 into the retort may be determined, according to theconditions of distillation. The temperature may for example be from 600 to 700 C. Where such' an installation is intended more especially for the production of gas, the gas for heating the blast stove may be produced in a water-gas generator mounted adjacent the blast -stove at the rear. The

gas generator may be so arranged that the gas produced during the air blow would give a good producer gas for burning in the blast stove and for heating it to the requlred tem-perature. After termination of the blow and during the period when the gas is circulated through the generator, water-gas may be produced in the gas generator by so regulating the supply of steam.

that the period may be prolonged and this The damper or circumstances. 5

water-gas is also turned into the base of the generator to pass through and mingle with v yield of ammonia but my object is also to assist in the liberation of the volatiles from the fuel inthe retort. Instead of washing At the same time the sensible heat in y all the gas produced in the retort, the gas could be passed direct fromthe top of the retort through the blast stove and thus re- I duce the quantity that is required to be treated in the by-product plant. 7

It will be understood that as the fuel passes down the retortit is subjected to 'a gradually increasing temperature whereby the volatile constituents of the fuel are-'- taken off at the temperature most suitable. Means may be provided for a continual clrculation of gas through the retort, a. For this purpose gas could be taken from a point near the upper endof the retort and returned near the lower endof the retort where it is admitted through the ports e.

' The invention is not limited to the. destructive distillation of" coal. It may be employed for applying heat to ores in their reduction or to metals for their treatmentor for any other similar purpose.

In the employment of the invention for the reduction of ores, briquettesmay be em ployed in which the necessary amount of fuel or coal may be incorporated with the ore.

Furthermore-it will be understood that no limitation is involved to the, temperatures' An apparatus for the continuous distillation of carbonaceous substances by internal heating, comprising a distillation retort,

two blast stoves for the said retort adapted for use alternately for the combustion therein of gas forheating the blast stove while heating 'gasused for the distillationis heated in the other blast stove and comprising aninlet under the control of a valve at the lower end of each blast stove for the alternate' admission of as and air for heating the blast stove, a ue between the bottom of each blast stove and the retort, a flue at zles at the upper end of the respective blast the upper end of each stove under the constoves so set that onthe passage of gas trol of a valve for the outlet of the waste through the nozzles, circulation of gas from combustion gases, fiues affording communithe upper end of the retort downwardly i cation between the upper end of the rethrough the blast stove is induced, substanspective blast stoves and the top of the retially as described.

tort under the control of valves, and noz- EDGAR ROUSE SUTCLIFFE. 

